INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Israeli troops have used a medieval-style catapult to toss fireballs across the border into Lebanon, as fighting ramps up between Israel and
the Iran-backed Islamist group Hezbollah.The trebuchet, a rotating arm with a sling attached to launch a projectile, has rarely been used
Israeli public broadcaster and CNN affiliate Kan reported Thursday.Kan said the trebuchet was probably used to burn shrubbery, making it
easier for Israeli forces to identify militants attempting to reach the border
CNN has asked the IDF for comment.A video of the catapult in action was posted on social media on Wednesday
CNN could not verify when the footage was filmed but geolocated it to the Israeli-Lebanese border.While there have been reports of catapults
being used by Ukrainian demonstrators during the Euromaidan protests in 2014, and by Syrian rebels in 2013, the weapon is a relic of bygone
catapults began to dwindle after the invention of modern gunpowder artillery in the 15th century.The video comes after cross-border attacks
from Lebanon led to large fires blazing through the north of Israel last week, consuming swaths of land and leading to the evacuation of
residents.Cross-border attacks have spiked this month, but there has been low-intensity fighting since the Hamas attack on Israel on October
7, when militants killed around 1,200 people and abducted 200 others, according to Israeli officials.That prompted Israel to go to war with
Hamas in Gaza, during which it has leveled much of the Strip and killed more than 36,000 Palestinians, according to Gazan
officials.Hezbollah has said its current round of fighting with Israel is to support the Palestinians in Gaza
Its military capability is believed to be far greater than that of Hamas and has grown since 2006, when it relied largely on inaccurate
Soviet-era Katyusha rockets.Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah says his group boasts more than 100,000 fighters and reservists
Israelis have been evacuated from the north since hostilities began in October, the IDF told CNN
